Petrov's Spark Caster Templar Guide (0.10)

This is a guide to a main spell Spark caster, supported by a single totem and dual curses. It is most efficiently done from the Templar start. It is the build I have run to 82 on an alt account.

If you're looking for a viable caster build that isn't Freezing Pulse or a Summoner, you may want to consider Spark. No caster scales off gear as well as (for example) bow users or melee, but it's still viable and plenty of fun to play.

Also, it was designed to be able to run a 6L without the use of a mana leech gem.

While using Spark on dual totems is common, fewer builds use it as a main skill. Spark is a relatively safe skill, as it can be effectively fired around corners/off walls. It is also a good boss killing skill as sparks can shotgun+crit for very high dps.

Here is the build (level 81): Petrov's Templar Spark Caster

Note: I have not taken any 30 dex nodes as I don't need to due to my gear - you may need to, depending on your gear.

Conceptually, this build revolves around a number of key elements:
- Crit chance, crit multiplier and shock stacking
- Cast speed (20% from tree and bandits - more from gear)
- Max resists capped at 84%
- Increased life of 182% and 50 base (you should be around 2.5k life, 2.5K ES)
- 22% reduced mana cost of skills (VIP for using a 5L or 6L without mana leech)
- Inner Force applying to 3 auras (Clarity, Discipline, Purity)
- Dual, permanent curses

For Bandit rewards, you should generally take the skill points (I wouldn't recommend the life reward as you may want to spec into CI/Ghost Reaver at some future time), although I'd recommend taking the 4% cast speed reward as the one exception to that rule.

For Spark itself, you want to try and get the maximum quality you can, as this increases projectile speed (by 3% for every 1% quality) and hence the reach of the sparks.

As for supports to Spark, you have a few options:
- Fork
- Life Leech
- Faster Cast
- Lightning Penetration
- Lightning Damage
- Increased Critical Damage

I generally go for Spark-Fork-Faster Cast-Life Leech-Lightning Penetration for 5L. Lightning Damage and Inc Crit Damage will give you higher tooltip DPS, but you'll probably find that for difficult mobs - ie those that are typically lightning resist - you'll wish you had Lightning Penetration linked. I would always have Fork and Life Leech linked.

If you're lucky enough to have a 6L chest, then you could use any of the supports above or, if mana regen isn't enough to cover the cost, consider a high quality Increased Crit Strikes.

Auras: Run 3 auras: Clarity (mana regen), Purity (increased res cap to 84% - this is huge!) and Discilpine (Energy Shield). These should all be linked to Reduced Mana Cost gems.

Curses: I generally play safe by using Enfeeble and Temporal Chains dual (linked to increased area of effect). If you want to be more aggressive, then Critical Weakness (with quality) synergises very well with this build (great for fast boss killing!). Conductivity is also very good.

Totems: I play with an Ice Spear-Spell Totem to freeze tough packs, also linked to Faster Cast and LMP.

Minions: I use a 4L minion setup for Raise Spectre-Minion Life-Minion Damage-GMP (you could swap GMP for Culling Strike if you like melee spectre tanks).

Gear: Focus on:
- Spell damage and crit chance (Maligaro's are great gloves for this build naturally)
- Maximising resists - don't forget Chaos resist too
- Flat + life mods
- Mana regeneration: for my 5L setup I have 320% mana regen (60% from passives, 260% from gear) giving a total of about 165 mana per second regen. I keep a levelled mana leech gem handy in case I want to run maps with no mana regen (I replace Fork with it)

Here is my gear at the moment:


Flasks: I run three instant heal health flasks, a granite flask and a quicksilver flask.

At level 82, with the 5L setup I've described above each spark does about 2.2k dps which sounds low, but is a lot higher due to crit/shotgun/shock stacking.

Enjoy!

Petrov.

PS: You could easily adapt this build for Freezing Pulse by taking the Freeze path, rather than the Shock path, near the Shadow start (and you could get rid of Static Blows). Given Freezing Pulse has a base mana cost of 23 vs 28 for Spark (lvl 20), you could easily run FP 5L without mana leech and even 6L without mana leech.

Nice build! Thanks for sharing.

Petrov you picked up Freeze instead of Shock on the tree, im assuming thats an accident? since i dont see a added cold support

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VictorDoom wrote:

Petrov you picked up Freeze instead of Shock on the tree, im assuming thats an accident? since i dont see a added cold support

Hmm, odd vic. I just checked and it's showing me that I have taken the Shock path, not Freeze. Could I trouble you to triple check please? What do others see?

P.

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mrpetrov wrote:

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VictorDoom wrote:

Petrov you picked up Freeze instead of Shock on the tree, im assuming thats an accident? since i dont see a added cold support

Hmm, odd vic. I just checked and it's showing me that I have taken the Shock path, not Freeze. Could I trouble you to triple check please? What do others see?

P.

my mistake, might have not seen it properly the first time, it is shock path, dont know why i saw freeze then, there might be that thing i do when i look at a build and then comment on the wrong thread XD

hc able this build ?

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faazylav wrote:

hc able this build ?

Yes, it is. It doesn't struggle with ele reflect at all, and spark is an inherently safe skill because you dont have to get close and can fire around corners by bouncing off walls.

Petrov.

Hey I just figured might not be a good idea to post my response to your question in my thread where you might not see it, but I updated my righteous fire/low life guide and answered your question http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/235987/page/2

Seems like this build hasn't attracted much attention which is a shame, been enjoying playing it as a duo with an LA ranger.

The new caster support looks like it could be fun with this build:

Intelligence Support Gem - Power Charge on Critical: Critical strikes with the supported skill have a chance of granting you a Power Charge.

Since by moving three points from somewhere you can get 2 extra power charges & 2% extra spell damage per power charge.

So maybe Spark / Fork / Faster Cast / Life Leech / Power Charge on Critical would be nice for a 5L setup?

support for MrPetrov :) good luck with guide!